Reports Being Released About Doctors Concerned Over Marijuana Secondhand Smoke
Marijuana advocates are all excited around the country about the potential medicinal benefits of cannabis, but it is also important to be conscious of the potential adverse health effects of marijuana. Not much negative information has come out about cannabis consumption, however smoking anything of any sort has been proven unhealthy for the lungs.
Matthew Springer, a University of California professor and biologist, took time to take a look at the effects of secondhand cannabis smoke while he researched the effects of tobacco secondhand smoke. He did see similar results of the adverse health effects seen from secondhand marijuana smoke as he did from tobacco smoke.
Scientists are finding that, just as with secondhand smoke from tobacco, inhaling secondhand smoke from marijuana can make it harder for arteries to expand to allow a healthy flow of blood.
With tobacco products, this effect lasts about 30 minutes, and then the arteries recover their normal function. But if it happens over and over — as when a person is smoking cigarette after cigarette, for example — the arterial walls can become permanently damaged, and that damage can cause blood clots, heart attack or stroke.
Springer demonstrated that, at least in rats, the same physiological effect occurs after inhaling secondhand smoke from marijuana. And, the arteries take 90 minutes to recover compared to the 30 minutes with cigarette smoke.
Springer’s discovery about the effect on blood vessels describes just one harmful impact for nonsmokers who are exposed to marijuana. Statewide sampling surveys of cannabis products sold in marijuana dispensaries have shown that cannabis products may contain dangerous bacteria or mold, or residues from pesticides and solvents.
People know that smoking is not good for them, which is why there is such a strong trend towards vaporizing. Vaporizers are supposed to keep the heating of marijuana just below combustion so that the intense heat does not break down the plant material to its smaller particles including toxins. Are you surprised at all to hear that secondhand marijuana smoke is not good for people’s health?
read more at npr.org
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